Phoenix 24
The rainbow jersey leaves his shoulders, but the comeback has already begun.
Monaco
Tadej Pogačar has returned to outdoor training less than a month after the crash that ended his 2026 season at the Vuelta a España. The Slovenian posted images of himself back on the bike and revealed the prominent scar left by surgery on his fractured left collarbone. The ride came 28 days after the accident that forced him to abandon the Vuelta while leading the race. It also coincided with his final day wearing the rainbow jersey before a new world champion was crowned in Montreal.
The injuries suffered in Spain were severe. Pogačar sustained a displaced fracture of the left clavicle, a stable fracture of the C7 vertebra, a concussion and multiple abrasions after crashing during stage eight of the Vuelta. He later underwent surgery in Barcelona, where doctors reconstructed the damaged collarbone. The operation was successful, but the extent of the injuries ended any realistic possibility of defending his world road title in Canada.
His return to the road therefore represents an important step rather than a competitive comeback. Pogačar had already resumed indoor training on a stationary bike, but riding outside places different demands on balance, confidence and the recovering shoulder. The scar visible across his collarbone offers a stark reminder of how serious the crash was and how recently he left hospital care.
The timing carried symbolic weight. Pogačar had won the elite road world title in the previous two editions and spent his final hours in the rainbow jersey riding rather than watching from the sidelines. His own message captured that transition simply: first day back, last day with the rainbow colors. The jersey changes hands, but the recovery process continues.
The wider cycling calendar remains secondary for now. Although Pogačar appeared on preliminary lists for upcoming events, his team had already indicated that the priority was complete recovery rather than rushing back into competition. With a fractured vertebra and surgically repaired collarbone, medical caution remains more important than short term sporting ambition.
The image of the scar changes the meaning of his return. It is not evidence that the injury has disappeared. It is evidence of what his body has already had to absorb before the next chapter of his career can begin.
Hechos que no se doblan. / Facts that do not bend.